The second phase of a country park in South East Northumberland has been opened by MP Ian Lavery.

Wansbeck MP Mr Lavery planted a commemorative tree at Pegswood Country Park to mark the official completion of restoration and landscaping work at the 36.5-hectare site by Banks Mining, and the handover of its ongoing management to environmental charity Groundwork North East & Cumbria.

Banks Mining has established a £93,000 endowment fund to support the future management of the park, while Groundwork, which has a 99-year lease on the site, is now looking at ways in which it can be developed for ever-wider community use.

Banks has been working to complete phase two of the park since additional landscaping works were agreed with Northumberland County Council and Pegswood Parish Council in 2014.

Over 1.4km of new public footpaths have been added around the site, along with park benches, while 575 bushes and trees have been planted along one side of the site’s pond.

Nectar-rich grasses have also been sown to support greater insect biodiversity.

Phase one of the park, which is located on land to the east of the former Pegswood surface mine, was delivered under Banks’ “restoration first” principle in 2003, while the mine was still operational.

Banks had previously finalised the majority of the planned agricultural restoration and landscaping work on the operational area of the former Pegswood surface mine, which it operated between 1997 and 2005, but had been unable to complete the project’s second phase as originally planned due to the water level on the lake.

A range of restoration options for phase two were developed by Banks and discussed with local communities and with representatives of the county and parish councils, and it was agreed that the existing landform and water level should be retained, with the lake area being landscaped with extra planting, footpaths, fencing and seeding.

Bedlington-based landscape and environmental contractor W L Straughan & Son Ltd was appointed to work on the project alongside Banks’ landscape management team.

The five-year programme of management and aftercare that followed the agricultural restoration of the site was completed in spring 2012.

Mr Lavery MP said: “I was delighted to officially open phase two of the Pegswood Country Park.

“Banks Mining have done what they said they would do and created a well-used local park land on their former opencast coal mine site, and have now handed it over to environmental charity, Groundwork North East & Cumbria, to maintain and manage.

“I know Groundwork will do a great job is developing the park and will also provide job opportunities to local people.”

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, said: “The park is already very well used, and as the landscape matures in the years to come, it will become an ever more important leisure amenity for both local people and wildlife.”

Kay Bradshaw, Northumberland programme manager at Groundwork North East & Cumbria, says: “We are pleased to be able to work with Banks in taking the Pegswood Moor site on to its next role in the community as a vibrant green space for all.”